CPTV: Paddling to the Pacuare Lodge

“You’re not suppose to have a tan when you go on your honeymoon,” a Lancaster city politico told me the other day when he saw the healthy hue of my arms and face. I won’t get into what he was suggesting my wife, Alison, and I should have been up to while spending 10 days in Costa Rica, but I will say this particular politico obviously doesn’t know the Pidgeons. We don’t opt for lush all-inclusive resorts. We like our piña colodas with umbrellas and a wild iguana climbing the barstool next to us. We like our luxury pools to come at the bottom of naturally-occurring waterfalls deep in the rain forest. We like it when our concierge is also our bartender, rappelling partner and raft guide.

That’s why the Pacuare Lodge, located deep in the Caribbean lowland rain forest on the east side of Costa Rica’s Contintental Divide, appealed to us. To get there, hotel transportation comes in the form of an inflatable raft, and hotel service jams your luggage into waterproof barrels. You and the barrels are loaded onto the rafts for a ride down the turquoise-green Río Pacuare to the eco-lodge, which holds no more than a few dozen guests at a time.

Aside from the gourmet meal and expert massages at the spa, you have hiking, zip lining and canyoneering options to pass the slow days in the jungle and work on your tan.